headlines around the globe. conflicteteriorating -- concerns that the u.s. -- that the government will use chemical weapons. >> i want to make it clear that the world is watching. the use of chemical weapons is and would be totally unacceptable. >> centuries after ernest shackleton to the death defying journey, a new team is out to repeat the trip, minus any modern conveniences. welcome to our viewers on public television in america and also around the globe. it is an announcement many have been waiting for. today's news that the duchess of cambridge is expecting a child was greeted with delight and

concern. from around the world, congratulations have been pouring in for the royal couple, including well wishes from the white house. the 30-year-old duchess is suffering from severe morning sickness. she has been hospitalized for several days. our royal correspondent starts our coverage. >> departing from hospital this evening, the father to be. william had spent several hours with his wife. they had driven to london earlier together. it was earlier this week and that the sickness started. certainly no sign of anything last friday when kate was playing hockey in high heels. nor had there been any hint of what was the county -- was to come a couple of days earlier. william was presented with a baby gift.

doctors say severe sickness that such an early stage should not be a cause for early concerned -- because of concern -- be a cause of concern. >> it is a difficult time for them to be going through. >> william and kate have wanted to start a family. this is what they said in their engagement interview. >> i think we will take it one step at that time. we will get the marriage first, then think about kids. obviously, we want a family. we will have to start thinking about that. >> scarcely had the wedding taken place and the couple appeared on the balcony than speculation about a royal baby began. every time she had a royal -- she had an encounter with a baby, people wondered when she would have a baby of her own.

there was speculation when they were on their tour of the pacific -- that is a pacific in september. she drank water rather than wine during a toast. the family members are said be delighted by the news. congratulations, too, from the prime minister. >> it is absolutely wonderful news. i am delighted for them. i am sure they will make brilliant parents. i'm sure everybody around the country will be celebrating with them tonight. >> the job will be third in line to the throne, irrespective of whether it's a boy -- the child will be third in line to the throng, a respected and whether it is a boy or girl -- to the throne, is respective -- irrespective of whether it is a boy or girl.

today's news will put pressure on williams, who is wrestling with decisions about his immediate future. will he leave the military to concentrate on his family role? 30 years ago, it was williamsburg which prompted the celebrations of -- william;s -- william's birth which prompted the celebrations. there will no doubt be celebrations of the future king or queen is on the web -- celebrations that the future king or queen is on the way. >> discuss the news with the royal analyst, whose father once served -- i discussed the news with the royal analyst. what is in store for house officials as they deal with the

avalanche of royal baby fever? >> we would not have learned about this pregnancy had she not been at a hospital. it is moving forward from now, controlling the frenzy surrounding the couple, while making sure that tate is getting the care and attention jeanine'sthat kate is getting the care at -- that kate is getting the care and attention that she needs. >> how can the palace protect her in this wired age? >> we are living in a different world with 24 hour news outlets, frenzied media interests, the internet. when william filed the injunction against the magazine when the topless pictures were published, he was sending a very clear message that frenzied paparazzi would not be tolerated. he will want to make sure that kate is protected, that she is not hounded, and that we do not

see a return to what we saw in diana's day. >> this baby, if it is a girl, could be queen. how much of a change is that for the monarchy? >> we really are changing centuries of real history. in looking at history, you have to think that the women have done quite well in the top job. elizabeth i, our own queen, they have done a wonderful job. it is quite nice for kate that she can approach this pregnancy not worry if this child is a boy -- not worrying if this child is a boy. at least the pressure is off of kate in that respect. it's about time tomorrow -- the royal family joined the modern world in every respect. >> the expected job to be brought up by nannies, to be sent to boarding school -- do you expect the child to be

brought up by nannies, to be sent to boarding school? >> there will be a nanny. there will be a governess to help out. much in the same way that diana was very hands-on. i think we can expect the same from william and kate. kate grew up in accounts -- in a house where she had a mother waiting for her when she came home from school. william had as normal a childhood as possible. this job will have a normal and bonds they -- this child will have a normal and fun upbringing. >> now to syria, where the white house says it is becoming increasingly concerned that the assad regime might be considering the use of chemical weapons against its own people. this morning, the u.s. secretary of state hillary clinton warned that was a red line.

a short while ago, president obama issued this warning from washington. today, i want to make it absolutely clear to assad andd those -- and those under his command, the world is watching. the use of chemical weapons is an would be totally -- is and would be totally acceptable. if you make them tragic mistake of using these weapons, there will be consequences and you will be held accountable. >> i discussed his strong words to syria's leaders with the bbc 's state department correspondent. while u.s. officials talking about serious chemical weapons -- wh yare -- why are u.s. officials talking about syria's chemical weapons now? >> officials have been quoted as saying they have seen activity, that these weapons are being moved around, possibly in preparation for their use. it is very difficult to read the

assad government and find out exactly what they are doing. are they trying to protect them? are they trying to bluff? we have heard from certain officials saying they have no intention of using chemical weapons against their own people. of course, that leaves open the possibility that they might reserve the right to use them if they are attacked from abroad. it is important to mention this is not the first time that we hear the obama administration's aid that the use of chemical weapons by syria would be -- the obama administration say that the use of chemical weapons by syria would be a mistake. government were to fall, what might happen to those chemical weapons? >> that is a real concern. beyond worrying that the assad government might use them, there is concern about the collapse. there are various groups

fighting. what will the rebels do? there is contact between the u.s. and the rebels on the ground, died in them as to how they should proceed -- guiding them as to how they should proceed, what to do about these weapons if they are in control. there is contingency planning with the american allies in the region about what to do if there is a collapse. it would involve moving in with troops, you would assume, to secure those weapons. >> as the conflict grinds on, there -- are there any signs of new thinking? >> all options are bad options. that is what is making it so difficult for anyone to come up with a plan to move forward and bring the bloodshed to an end. there has been talk about a no- fly zone. i think that will not happen. the turks are requesting the deployment of patriot missiles along the border with syria. some countries want reassurance that this will not be used for

any no-fly zone enforcement. what we will see increase in over the next few weeks and months is more quiet backing for the rebels, sharing of intelligence, possibly providing more weapons, and also getting the opposition ready to take over for the day after assad falls. the american secretary of state will be heading to morocco next week to meet in a large gathering with friends of syria and with the opposition, with those who support the opposition, because not everybody supports them. they will see how they can coalesce and provide an alternative to president assad when and if he falls. >> thank you very much. pressure is increasing on israel over its plans to build 3000 homes in palestinian areas. france, britain, and spain are just a few of the countries which have summoned israel's ambassador to express their

concerns. there are warnings that new settlements in east jerusalem and the west bank could threaten the very viability of a two- state solution. >> israel's prime minister does not shirk controversy and is not afraid of upsetting his friends, but benjamin netanyahu might suddenly be feeling rather isolated. a number of european countries are upset over the thorny issue of settlements. for years, israel has been warned by allies that continued expense of israel's settlements on occupied jewish land is detrimental to a two-state solution. it was when israel signalled its intention to develop this strategically-important area known as e-1 that the row intensified. if this big piece of land was

to become a jewish settlement, detractors say it would be the final nail in the coffin of the two-state solution. with dozens of jewish settlements already in the area, it is argued that developing e- 1 and his separation area around it, -- and this separation around it would cut off east jerusalem from the area around it. it elicited a strong response from israel's biggest ally. >> we urge israel's leaders to reconsider these units around battle -- these unilateral decisions. >> israel blames this for the tension -- the palestinians acquisition of enhanced status at the when last week, a move opposed by israel -- at the u.n. last week, a move opposed by israel. >> in the middle east, you cannot allow that and ignore it.

>> thanks to the u.n., the palestinians may have greater self-confidence. but more is ready sediments hurt their ambitions for full status. -- but more israeli settlements hurt their ambitions for full status, and they wan tthe -- they want the u.n. to move in. if these settlements continue to grow, britain and france have hinted at sterner action, although they are unlikely to go as far as withdrawing embassadors. -- embassadors -- ambassadors. >> rwanda has rejected a report that says it was involved in the rebel goma capture rebel in congo -- the democratic republic of congo.

the drc is now back in control -- control. in the uk, starbucks says it will start paying corporation tax. the company has nearly 1/3 of the uk coffee shop market, but has only paid the tax once in the past 15 years. starbucks has been stung by public criticism of its actions. you're watching "bbc world news america." still to come on tonight's program, nearly 25 years after a deadly gas attack, one kurdish town is still trying to identify the scores of people who died. to japan now, where the authorities are trying to figure out how tunnel collapsed on sunday, killing at least nine people. huge concrete slabs in the tunnel smashed on to cars.

that started a fire on the main route from tokyo to central japan. we report now on that story. >> only this morning, the mangled wreckage of three vehicles was brought -- early this morning, the mangled wreckage of three vehicles was brought from the tunnel. last came a small delivery truck. the driver had been trapped, but alive. by the time rescuers got to him, he was dead. the collapsed tunnel lies deep in the mountains of central japan, just to the north of mount fuji. it is part of the expressway that links tokyo to central and western japan. the tunnel itself is nearly 5 kilometers or 3 miles long. engineers are trying to work out what went wrong. what caused the huge concrete ceiling segments to suddenly

give away and crashed to the road below 0-- and crash to the road below? and why had the tunnel past the city in best -- passed the safety inspection just months ago? >> they will quickly take measures to prevent similar accidents. >> that work began with a hammer and chisel. across japan, there are thought to be at least 49 tunnels of similar age and designed to the one that collapsed. it will take a lot of workers an awful long time to check every inch of every one like this. the question people are asking here is why wasn't it done before. bbc news, yoky -- tokyo. >> it is nearly 25 years since saddam hussein's forces killed thousands of iraqi kurds with

chemical weapons. now the kurdistan regional government is trying to establish the attack as an internationally-recognized act of genocide. they are seeking help to dig up and identify the dead. we have one of the first journalist to report from the scene. he has returned to assess the continuing fallout. >> i would not have recognized the place. it is now busy and expanding fast. however bustling it may be, no one here forgets the gas attacks of march, 1988. saddam hussein's planes bombarded the area with some of the most toxic agents known to science. nerve gas is an old-fashioned mustard gas -- nerve gas and old fashioned mustard gas.

the bodies which litter the town were those of people who ran out of their houses to try to escape the gas and then were killed out in the open. since that moment, this woman has been alone in the world. she was only a teenager then. she lost 17 relatives, including her mother, two brothers, a sister. she keeps their pictures with her all the time. >> everyone wants to live, but what kind of life for us? every day is the day of the attack. we are wounded. there are scars on our bodies. the pain is still in our hearts deep down. >> no one has ever cleaned up the cellar where her family was gassed. even 25 years later, the stench of mustard gas is still strong, strong enough to kill small creatures.

it makes our eyes weep and our heads ache. no doubt about it, things have come down here -- things that have come down here seem to die as a result. it could be a good idea not to spend too much time down here. all right. what i'm doing is just -- >> a top british expert in chemical warfare is looking into the lingering danger. >> we have a problem around here. they did the foundations. they come across these pockets of mustard gas. they evaporate. people have died recently doing that. >> for now, the victims are still buried in a few mass graves. the british team says it could identify each of the bodies through its dna so they could be re-buried in the individual grades which now awaits them, each clearly named -- individ

ual graves which now await them, each clearly named. they want this to be recognized as a genocide. >> that is what happened. not just here, but throughout kurdistan. >> it was my uncle. i always start to cry. >> to this day, it is part of everyone's life here. pupils and their teacher. it is not just history. like saddam hussein, syria as chemical weapons, and it is not that far away -- syria has chemical weapons. it is not that far away. for people here, chemical warfare seems not that impossible. >> now to the vatican where the

pope is joining millions on twitter. he joined the ranks of 140- character communicators. he is @pontifex, if you were wondering. he wants to use the account to spread the message of the roman catholic church. today alone over 250,000 users have decided to follow him. now to a story of survival which endures even a hundred years on. long before the conveniences of gps and modern clothing, the british explorer, sir ernest shackleton battled to save his crew stuck in antarctica after their boat was crushed by ice. a century later, a team is about to recreate their journey. duncan kennedy has the story. >> sir ernest shackleton has come to personify endurance, perseverance, and courage. in 1914, during an expedition to the antarctic, his ship was crushed by ice, forcing him and his crew of more than 20 to take

to a lifeboat. they ended up on a rocky outcrop called elephant island. shackleton realized they could not survive there. with five companions, he set out across the hostile southern ocean in an open boat. it took 16 days to reach a south georgia, then near the two more days to walk across snow-covered mountains to safety. he then returned to pick up his stranded men. now, a group of polar explorers will make the same epic journey in an identical boat, with the same food and clothing, and no modern-de navigation tools, all to pay homage to one of the most heroic leaders of all time. >> once you put yourself in that situation and you have made the decision to go, then the rest is to try and survive in the same conditions he had. we hope we can do what he did.

>> it has taken four years of preparation for the team, which also aims to highlight climate change and the antarctica. they can call on a support vessel in an emergency, but the intention is to go it alone. to honor the man whose formidable tenacity remains an inspiration a century on. duncan kennedy, bbc news. >> an incredible journey repeated. that brings to the's program to close. -- today's program to a close. thank you for watching. please tune in tomorrow. >> makes sense of international news that bbc.com/news.

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- get ready to blast off, neighbour. today we're going to play outer space at our friend miss elaina's house. and then we're going to play at prince wednesday's royal castle. i'm so happy you're my friend. ugga-mugga. be right back. is made possible in part by... the richard king mellon foundation. dedicated for over sixty years to south western pennsylvania's quality of life, and competitive future. and by these pittsburg foundations.

working together to enhance and enrich the lives of children for more than seventy-five years. and by the arthur vining davis foundations. dedicated to strengthening america's future through education. adcasting, dedicated to strengthening america's future and contributions to your pbs station, from viewers like you. in the neighbourhood ♪ and contributions to your pbs station, ♪ a beautiful day for a neighbour ♪ ♪ would you be mine? ♪ could you be mine? ♪ won't you be my neighbour? - ♪ it's daniel tiger's neighborhood ♪ ♪ a land of make-believe ♪ won't you ride along with me? ♪ - ♪ ride along - ♪ it's daniel tiger's neighborhood ♪ ♪ so much to do, so much to see ♪ ♪ won't you ride along with me? ♪ - ♪ ride along - ♪ i've got lots of friends for you to meet ♪

♪ in this land of make-believe ♪ a friendly face on every street ♪ just waiting to greet you ♪ it's a beautiful day in the neighbourhood ♪ ♪ a beautiful day for a neighbour ♪ ♪ in daniel tiger's neighborhood. ♪ - hi, neighbour. we're playing at miss elaina's house today. she lives in the museum-go-round, and she is a very fun friend. verrry fun. - (robot voice): daniel tiger, i'm so glad you came to play. (all laughing) - hi, lady elaine. hi, miss elaina. my neighbour came to play too. - miss elaina has been waiting for you all day. - greetings, daniel tiger. i'm so, so, so, so, so, so glad you're here! - wow, what's that on your head? - it's my helmet. i'm an astronaut! - astronaut! whoa! - and i'm going to zoom to outer space!